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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · track · cabinet · kick · band · pass · root · lie

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — in football
  5. band — a ring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pass — a permit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. capital — a city
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — the cause
  22. capital — money
  23. band — a music group
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com